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Leaves of Morya's Garden - Book 2 - Illumination (1925) - 3.2.15:
During work, when fatigue already possessed the disciples, Buddha would ask the most unexpected question and await the promptest reply. Or, placing the simplest object before them, He would suggest that they describe it in not more than three words or not less than one hundred pages. Or, placing a pupil before a locked door, He would ask: "How will you open it?" Or, summoning musicians beneath the window, He would have them sing hymns of entirely dissimilar contents. Or, noting the presence of an annoying fly, He would ask the pupil to repeat some words unexpectedly pronounced. Or, passing in front of the pupils, He would ask them how many times He had done so. Or noticing a fear of animals or of natural phenomena, He would give them the task of mastering it. Agni Yoga (1929) - 185:
"Purify your thoughts, and after determining your three worst traits, sacrifice them to be burned away in fiery striving. Then choose a Teacher on Earth and, mastering the Teaching, strengthen your body with the indicated medicines and pranayama. You will behold the stars of the spirit; you will see the flames of purification of your centers; you will hear the voice of the Invisible Teacher; and you will acquire those subtlest perceptions that transform life. Agni Yoga (1929) - 345:
It is necessary to devote the needed time to the mastering of thought, but at the same time repeatedly remind oneself that all thought has one essence. We rejoice at diversity of thinking, but each thought must be pure as a diamond. Agni Yoga (1929) - 392:
392. Mastering one's inner fires is an effort fraught with danger. It is not easy to awaken one's inner fires; but, even after one has accomplished this, it is even more difficult to gain mastery of the multifaceted, all-pervading fiery element. One who has realized the fires becomes responsive, resonating to the call of the flame. The earthquake that occurred yesterday provided an example of this. The heart of Sister Urusvati suffered a dangerous tremor, for earthquakes are a result of Fire. Precisely, the entire being is shaken by its encounter with fires of a quality different from one's own. But so important is the realization of Fire as a step in evolution, that I advise you to be especially careful when striving to master this element. This mastery is necessary, however, for the experience of cosmic communication. Agni Yoga (1929) - 450:
450. One may regard a chain of incarnations as a sequence of separate lives, but it is better to look upon the entire chain of incarnations as one life. Truly, life is one; from the moment of mastering the human consciousness, life with all it involves does not cease, and the surrounding cosmic currents evoke the same sensations in all phases of life. This is one of the most binding conditions of life, proving the innate oneness of all principles. One could call the time of incarnation a sleeping dream or a waking day, depending on one's point of view. In the past perhaps it was a sleeping dream, but in the future it will perhaps be an awakening. This depends upon the success of one's evolution. Agni Yoga (1929) - 499:
499. Every action based on reason is an indestructible acquisition. Affirmation of the Teaching is an invincible armor. Knowledge is gained by mastering the sparks of Light. Space is filled with material bodies beyond counting. Agni Yoga (1929) - 648:
648. When you plant balu and rhododendron in the plains, when you plant apples on the mountains, can you expect immediate results? Likewise, in the mastering of psychic energy sufficient time must be allowed for transformation of the essential nature of the energy. A forced application of tension will not bring expected results. Often people expect results in one dimension, though they occur in a completely different one. Therefore, know the time needed for the growth of energy. Agni Yoga (1929) - 670:
Many means and possibilities follow the mastering of the fires. Hierarchy (1931) - 233:
233. It is necessary to become as accustomed to battle as to daily labor. One should understand a battle not only as a test of excelling in strength but also as a source for the accumulation of energy. We cannot think of mastering the elements without a battle. And how ready must we be at a call, for otherwise we may waste the action of the Higher Forces. Hierarchy does not mean the steadfastness of repose, but steadfastness in the midst of battle. Can something else be substituted for battle, when Our Magnet is tense and each victory is the joy of the entire Hierarchy? If it is difficult for some to accept Hierarchy through love, let them accept it as a fundamental necessity.
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